memeorandum: 42 and 45 Overpower 44 — WASHINGTON — THE First Family … (Maureen Dowd/New York Times)

4:10 PM ET, May 4, 2014

Top Items:

GOP Rep. King blasts Dem rep's ‘arrogant’ call to boycott Benghazi probe — A top Republican on the House intelligence committee slammed his Democratic colleague Sunday for suggesting fellow Democrats boycott the newly announced committee tasked with probing the Benghazi attacks.

Discussion: protein wisdom and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Lucy McCalmont / Politico:

Obama at WHCD: ‘My stellar 2013’ — President Barack Obama took aim at Republicans, the media — and himself — at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner - opening and closing his comedy routine with the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov.

Discussion: ABC News, Yahoo! News, Wall Street Journal, The Moderate Voice and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Wall Street Journal:

White House Correspondents Dinner: Transcript of Obama's Remarks — Here is the transcript of President Barack Obama's remarks at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, May 3, as released by the White House. — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much, everybody. Have a seat, have a seat.

Discussion: Liberal Values

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

It's Not Just About Obama — THERE has been a festival of commentary of late bemoaning the pusillanimous foreign policy of President Obama. If only we had a president who rode horses shirtless, wrestled a tiger or took a bite out of a neighboring country, we'd all feel much safer.

Discussion: NewsBusters and The Moderate Voice

New York Times:

President Obama and the World — Two years after winning an election in which foreign policy was barely mentioned, President Obama is being pummeled at home and abroad for his international leadership. The world sometimes seems as if it is flying apart, with Mr. Obama unable to fix it.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Associated Press:

CONDOLEEZZA RICE BACKS OUT OF RUTGERS COMMENCEMENT — You are here — Home » United States government » Condoleezza Rice backs out of Rutgers commencement — NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has backed out of delivering the commencement address …

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Gothamist, Patterico's Pontifications, Hinterland Gazette, The Week and Booman Tribune

Scott Greer / The Daily Caller:
Awful School Is Awfully Intolerant: Condi Rice Backs Out Of Rutgers Speech Amid Protests

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
“College campuses essentially operate on mob rule at this point”

Discussion: National Review

Trevor Eischen / Politico:
Condoleezza Rice backs out of Rutgers ceremony

Discussion: news.rutgers.edu, Commencement …, Los Angeles Times and CNN

National Review:
EXCLUSIVE: Rice Withdraws from Rutgers Commencement

Discussion: The College Fix and Twitchy

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

42 and 45 Overpower 44 — WASHINGTON — THE First Family is all over the news, discussing the management of the economy, income inequality, raising the minimum wage, the vicissitudes of press coverage and the benefits of healthy eating. — Everywhere you look, the Clintons rule.

Discussion: Washington Post and Gretawire

Sen. Tim Kaine / Politico:
I'm Ready for Hillary

Discussion: Liberal Values and Taylor Marsh

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Obamacare's doom — If the president wants to witness a refutation of his assertion that the survival of the Affordable Care Act is assured, come Thursday he should stroll the 13 blocks from his office to the nation's second-most important court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Discussion: Power Line

Caitlin Emma / Politico:

Abdul-Jabbar talks racism — Former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Sunday “more whites believe in ghosts than they do in racism.” — Racism is a systemic problem, he said on ABC's “This Week.” Abdul-Jabbar penned an op-ed last week for Time Magazine discussing race and the racist history …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Raw Story and Bloomberg View

Associated Press:

SC Sen. Graham avoids big re-election challenge — Rep. Mick Mulvaney was thought to be a credible challenger in the June 10 primary, until Graham inspired House leaders to give Mulvaney a seat on the House Financial Services Committee. Mulvaney opted against challenging the two-term senator.

Discussion: Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Bloomberg snags Halperin and Heilemann — “Game Change” co-authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann have joined Bloomberg News where they will spearhead a new, stand-alone politics site, sources at the organization told POLITICO on Sunday. — Halperin, Time magazine's senior political analyst …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Greg Clary / CNN:

Gov. Perry talks botched Oklahoma execution; potential 2016 run — Washington (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday that while last week's execution in Oklahoma was clearly botched, there's no need for sweeping changes in capital punishment laws across the country.

Discussion: Politico

Gene Robinson / The Daily Beast:

A Bishop's Decision to Divorce — All of us sincerely intend, when we take our wedding vows, to live up to the ideal of ‘til death do us part.’ But not all of us are able to see it through. — Life is hard. And it just keeps on coming, ready or not. Somewhere inside me …

Discussion: NPR, The Week, Guardian and Yahoo! News